It's March What's on your workbench?

Finally finished up this BD tonight
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Mike, I like that one. Is that the one you posted earlier. Bottom Board?

Ramsey: Great looking Eeeeda. (I learned that from my pronounciation survey but still probably wrong). Just what are those wing things, and Steve, don't tell me wings :-)

Mike
 
Been out of work for the past 2 weeks, so I have alot going on, but here are a couple of interest.
A duck butt made from scrap chunks of cork I glued up, pine feet and tail
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and a big scoter, its sitting on a normal size table saw for reference..
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I don't carve, but i work with a taxidermist and hunting partner, and we are working on a display mount for his shop and to take to outdoor shows. Really we are just getting started, and don't have pictures yet. If any of you diver and sea duck hunters have any birds frozen whole in the freezer that you would like to "GIFT" to me let me know. They would be greatly appreciated. You guys in the plains states that are just starting to shoot spring snows, rosses and specks don't hesitate to get a hold of me, a couple of those birds would look good in our display as well. Here's your chance to clean out that freezer a little bit, and get the wife to stop complaining about that bird your never going to mount anyway, as she might put it. Thanks in advance, and to all the carvers your work is truly beautiful.
 
Bill: That's a great idea, but I have to ask, what's that wedge shaped cork on the duck's back, or is that just something in the background? The eider is great too.

Sean: Very nice.

Mike
 
MC...thats his primaries sticking up, weird angle, will repost when finished, probably next month! I saw a similar carved tip up like that in the past and just got around to making my own.
 
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Kevin,

I really like the mallard, with the head tilt and the reaised primaries it looking very stylish. I particularly like the edge hammered pad weight. Once fully painted I think that weight will give it a very individual and unique look, specially after it ages out a bit.

Excellent job.
 
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Thanks Mike and John. I'm learning quite a bit about oil paints. The pad weights were fun too. I bought some sheet lead and stacked it for the look you see here. The hardware is silicon bronze and I aged it by applying a metal patina. I'll post pics of the finished mallard.......................Thanks again, Kevin
 
Wow Mr. Schrader!

That bird is GREAT! It is not easy to get those heads looking right. Especially make a big eider head that is resting transition into the body nicely. Very cool stuff. Can't wait to see the good oil paint you'll put on it.

Hope all is well,

Spencer

P.S. did you epoxy the bill and seam at the neck? What kind of filler is that grey stuff? Is it epoxy with the microbaloons?
 
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I wrote before about a couple of very different decoys that I made for the Westlake show. Well here they are. A pair of super magnum pied-billed grebes. I wanted something completely different than I've ever seen and this is where my thought process ended up. I changed the paint scheme on both to get a different feel. The first is hollow cedar painted in oils. I was trying for a completely impressionistic feel to the paint. It's 12" long and 8" wide.
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And a head shot

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After I started working on the second of which I originaly intended to be a pair I got kind of bored with the repitition so I altered the cutout by cutting off about and inch and a quarter from the tail area to make the over all shape a little rounder. I also wanted to try something different with the paint so I painted it with a warmer pallete. These are also the two decoys that I played around with cooling and heating the pod oil to see what it might add to the paint. When I went to cut this decoy in half to hollow it the saw bucked it and nearly took my fingers with it. So that ended that and I stopped and left it solid. This decoy is about 10 1/4" long and 8" wide.

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and a detail head view of the second

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I packaged up sixteen decoys for Westlake that will be in room 158 and I'll be bringing a few with me on Friday morning. Please come and take a look.
 
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John - I look forward to meeting you and seeing your decoys

Sean - I'm curious why you chose to do a Mute swan rather than a Trumpeter or Tundra ?
 
John , Just felt like doing one . The other on I'm working on is a Tundra.

Kevin , your bird's are coming along nicely. I like the picture hanger in place of the tether.
 
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